HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I am having troubles keeping in my humidity and heat. Now that Minnesotant winter is coming my temperature has been dropping to 68-70 at night when I turn off my daylight blue reptile bulb 40W because they only need 12 hrs of light. I already have one UTH heater on the outside side right under the substrate line @ 6in for a 10 gallon tank. Im thinking of adding a second UTH heater to the side right above the other, they arent too high with wattage, both just 4watz each so one doesnt do it enough. While I have my light on during the day the temp will be at most 76-80 but no more than or less with or without plastic on the mesh lid thats with a light with a clamp, clamped on the side of the lid. If I use the ceramic bulb holder and peel back some plastic wrap to set the ceramic bulb holder on the mesh lid (have learned to not set on the plastic wrap as it has burned holes through) all of the humidity will escape and can get down to 40-50% humidity if i leave during the day. I bought a 15watt light moonlight bulb im waiting for in the mail same with the 2nd UTH heater adhesive.I was hoping the 15 watt light on 24 hrs will raise temp but I doubt it so I bought a second UTH heater. Im having trouble setting up my lights to close or too far because I have my tank in the bathroom (which is the warmest place in the house! Besides the such cold temp and on top of it theyre so messy the bathrooms easiest to clean) because there are no overhanding woodplanks or anything to pass my cords through to let the ceramic bulb holder to hang over the tank or clamp the clamp bulb holder too clamp too I figured out it just barely holds up if I clamp it to the indent of the old mesh lid. I keep all plastic on because it is not touching it the lamp or lamp holder. Anyone and colder climates know their tricks for carrabian crabs which prefer around 80-85?i have a pic for the set up with light during the day clamp etc. i also have bubblers for my water and when i turn my light off during the light the humidity reaches 100% and over if i leave on too long havent had any problems with the high humidity tho hermit crabs dont seem to mind as they bang their shells in the tank that I hear throughout the night (only reach 80-100% humidity if plastic wrap id kept on) Bottom line is, is that when I remove plastic to set the ceramic holder and buld on there it decreases my humidity and somewhat raises temp. Clamp is working so far but not sure yet.. is it good for the light to be shining through the plastic?

Hey! I was in almost the same position as you were a few months ago. I have a ten gallon and had the Ultratherm ten-twenty gallon heater. My temp wouldn't raise above about 78. I got the thirty-forty heater and put that on, and it helped raise the temp a few degrees. I put a towel on the top to keep the temp and humidity in, and purchased insulating bubble-wrab material that I put on the outside side of the heating pads. Viola! It kept the heat in pretty well. The lamp is a good backup if you need it. What I do is just constantly have the smaller heater on, and the bigger one is on the thermostat. I only turn on the lamp if I need it and only when I'm home. Hope this helps!

Ultra therm 20-30gal heater instead of two 10 gallons lol that wouldve been a better decision for me and alot cheaper two if you were to wrap the hearing pad in bubble wrap doesnt it melt because mine are adhesive to the side. do you have ones that arent adhesive? ive been lookin for those but cant find them ( the adhesive ones you must keep purchasing because they fall off etc) do you take the bubble wrap to the glass tank and keep the bubble wrap over it?


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It's not exactly bubble wrap. It's Duct Insulation, the kind that you would use in your house. You can buy it at pretty much any hardware store. I tape it over the pad that's stuck to the tank. I have a ten gallon ultratherm AND a twenty-thirty one. As for your humidity problems, I can't help you there. My humidity is always really high.

Re - insulating a tank with under tank heaters mounted on the sides or back. If it's a Ultratherm (which you attach to the glass with electrical tape), you can put insulation over top of it. If it's a Zoomed (or one that the actual heater is sticky), you can insulate around it but not over top of it.

curlysister wrote:Re - insulating a tank with under tank heaters mounted on the sides or back. If it's a Ultratherm (which you attach to the glass with electrical tape), you can put insulation over top of it. If it's a Zoomed (or one that the actual heater is sticky), you can insulate around it but not over top of it.

I now realize that mine is actually a Zoomed Sorry for the mix-up, I'm still new to this... Why shouldn't I insulate over it? Is it a fire hazard?

BlookittiePC wrote:It's not exactly bubble wrap. It's Duct Insulation, the kind that you would use in your house. You can buy it at pretty much any hardware store. I tape it over the pad that's stuck to the tank. I have a ten gallon ultratherm AND a twenty-thirty one. As for your humidity problems, I can't help you there. My humidity is always really high.

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curlysister wrote:Re - insulating a tank with under tank heaters mounted on the sides or back. If it's a Ultratherm (which you attach to the glass with electrical tape), you can put insulation over top of it. If it's a Zoomed (or one that the actual heater is sticky), you can insulate around it but not over top of it.

Where do I find ultratherm and how do i insulate around the sticky/adhesive uth?

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BlookittiePC wrote:It's not exactly bubble wrap. It's Duct Insulation, the kind that you would use in your house. You can buy it at pretty much any hardware store. I tape it over the pad that's stuck to the tank. I have a ten gallon ultratherm AND a twenty-thirty one. As for your humidity problems, I can't help you there. My humidity is always really high.

Where do you find your ultratherm heating pad that is not adhesive? I have looked on amazon and they only sell really big and expensive ones i just need a small one to attach to the end side


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BlookittiePC wrote:

curlysister wrote:Re - insulating a tank with under tank heaters mounted on the sides or back. If it's a Ultratherm (which you attach to the glass with electrical tape), you can put insulation over top of it. If it's a Zoomed (or one that the actual heater is sticky), you can insulate around it but not over top of it.

I now realize that mine is actually a Zoomed Sorry for the mix-up, I'm still new to this... Why shouldn't I insulate over it? Is it a fire hazard?

Opps sorry I didnt see this yet and asked you a second question


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curlysister wrote:Re - insulating a tank with under tank heaters mounted on the sides or back. If it's a Ultratherm (which you attach to the glass with electrical tape), you can put insulation over top of it. If it's a Zoomed (or one that the actual heater is sticky), you can insulate around it but not over top of it.

This is exactly what I use on my hermit crab tank


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Riceyandspicy wrote:

curlysister wrote:Re - insulating a tank with under tank heaters mounted on the sides or back. If it's a Ultratherm (which you attach to the glass with electrical tape), you can put insulation over top of it. If it's a Zoomed (or one that the actual heater is sticky), you can insulate around it but not over top of it.

This is exactly what I use on my hermit crab tank


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You can find Ultratherm uth at reptilebasics.com or beanfarm.com. they are a bit pricey but work really well. The sticky ones you get in the pet store just don't generate enough heat. Get one that covers the back of your tank from the top of the substrate up. And you can insulate them. You can use reflectix tape. You can find it at home depot. Oh, and you tape the ultratherm to the tank. Bulbs will dry up the humidity as you've seen. Seal the entire lid with saran wrap. And you csn cover the tank with a blanket.

Hermiesguardian wrote:

Riceyandspicy wrote:

curlysister wrote:Re - insulating a tank with under tank heaters mounted on the sides or back. If it's a Ultratherm (which you attach to the glass with electrical tape), you can put insulation over top of it. If it's a Zoomed (or one that the actual heater is sticky), you can insulate around it but not over top of it.

This is exactly what I use on my hermit crab tank


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You can find Ultratherm uth at reptilebasics.com or beanfarm.com. they are a bit pricey but work really well. The sticky ones you get in the pet store just don't generate enough heat. Get one that covers the back of your tank from the top of the substrate up. And you can insulate them. You can use reflectix tape. You can find it at home depot. Oh, and you tape the ultratherm to the tank. Bulbs will dry up the humidity as you've seen. Seal the entire lid with saran wrap. And you csn cover the tank with a blanket.

So i put it above the substrate line?


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So i put it above the substrate line?


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Yes.

Riceyandspicy wrote:

curlysister wrote:Re - insulating a tank with under tank heaters mounted on the sides or back. If it's a Ultratherm (which you attach to the glass with electrical tape), you can put insulation over top of it. If it's a Zoomed (or one that the actual heater is sticky), you can insulate around it but not over top of it.

This is exactly what I use on my hermit crab tank


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Me too, but I have the ten-twenty gallon AND the thirty-fourty gallon heaters. Both of them working together generate enough heat/